Stabilizing apparatus for waterborne vessels



March 9, 1965 J. TUTIN 3,172,389

' STABILIZING APPARATUS FOR WATERBORNE VESSELLS Filed June 7, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @y W TJM 977'):

J. TUTIN 3,172,389

STABILIZING APPARATUS FOR WATERBORNE VESSELS March 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June v7, 1962 Arr-Kr.

United States Patent 3,172,389 STABILIZING APPARATUS FOR WATER BORNE VESSELS John Tutin, London, England, assignor t0 Hydroconic Limited, London, England, a company of Great Britain Filed June 7, 1962, Ser. No. 200,783 1 Claim. (Cl. 114-126) This invention relates to stabilising apparatus e.g. roll dampers for waterborne vessels.

According to the invention there is provided a waterborne vessel having attached to its hull amidships at each side at or near the line of the bilge, a housing member containing a plurality of stabilising panels each mounted to oscillate about its axis and to swing outwardly so as to project beyond the housing, pivoting means to effect such swinging movement of the panels and oscillating means located exteriorly of the hull and responsive to signals received from within the hull to oscillate the said panels as aforesaid when in the projecting position. Preferably means is provided to lock the panels in their projecting position. Means may conveniently also be provided to lock the panels in their retracted position.

The pivoting and oscillating means may be mechanically, electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically operable. A single pivoting means may be provided to effect swinging movement of all or a number of panels of each housing through a suitable linkwork. Similarly a single oscillating means may be provided to oscillate all or a number of panels of each housing through suitable linkages. Preferably however there is provided a plurality of swinging means, one for each panel and preferably also there is provided a plurality of oscillating means, one for each panel.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan of a waterborne vessel embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section on line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view in the direction of arrow 4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a detail view in the direction of arrow 5 in FIGURE 4.

Referring now to the drawings, a waterborne vessel 6 has attached to its hull 7 at each side at the line of the bilge a channel shaped housing 8. This housing 8 extends fore and aft of amidships to a total length of about 30% to 50% of the vessels length and is faired off at its fore and aft ends to provide a smooth join with the contour of the hull 7.

Within the housing at spaced locations are a number of stabilising panels 11 of streamline section. These panels 11 are moulded in rubber or like material onto a metal frame (not shown) to give a streamline section. This material may be treated to be toxic to marine organisms. At its inner end each panel 11 is provided with a shaft 12 which is journalled in the movable member 14 of a pedestal bearing 15, the bearing foot 16 of which is located on a spacer member 13 and is secured to the lower flange 9 of the housing 8. The panel 11 may thus pivot about an axis 11a which is substantially parallel to a tangent of the hull 7 to pass through an appropriately shaped aperture a in the base 10 of the channel shaped housing 8 into a projecting position (as shown in full lines in FIGURE 4). In this projecting position the panel 11 projects substantially normal to the hull 7. When the panels 11 project as aforesaid they lie in line and are suitably spaced to prevent hydro- "ice dynamic interference. Each panel 11 is connected for movement about the axis 11a of the bearing 15 by a ram 17 pivotally connected between a pair of arms 18 fixed to the movable member 14 of the pedestal bearing 15 and a lug 20 mounted on a plate 21a welded onto the hull 7. The ram 17 is hydraulically operable and contains known internal locking means to lock it at the ends of its stroke thereby to lock the panel 11 in its projecting and retracted positions.

Also carried on the movable member 14 of t e pedestal bearing is a semi-rotary hydraulic actuator 22 which is arranged coaxially with the shaft 12 of the panel 11 and which has its power shaft 23 connected to that shaft 12 by a muff coupling 24. This coupling 24 is contained within a bell housing 25 which is fixed to the movable member 14 and serves to carry the hydraulic actuator 22 thereon. The actuator 22 can oscillate the panel r11 about its axis through 25 on either side of its neutral position (shown in full lines in FIGURE 5) i.e. the position in which it presents the minimum flow resistance in the direction of movement of the vessel 6. The aperture 10a must be appropriately shaped (as shown in FIG- URE 5) to allow the panel to oscillate in this way.

The hydraulic connections of the ram 17 and semirotary actuator 22 are connected respectively to flexible hydraulic pipe lines 26, 2'7, 28 and 29. The flexible pipe line 26 from one of the connections of each ram 17 is also connected to a tapping on a first header pipe 31 extending along the hull 7 within the housing 8. Similarly the pipe line 27, from the other connection of each ram 17 is connected to tappings on a second similar header pipe 32, the pipe line 28 from one of the connections of each rotary actuator 22 to a third header pipe 33 and the pipe line 29 from the other of the connections of each rotary actuator 22 to a fourth header pipe 34. These four header pipes 31, 32, 33 and 34 pass into the hull 7 through a gland (not shown). The first and second header pipes 31 and 32 lead to hydraulic control means indicated diagrammatically at 35 which is switch operated to increase the pressure in one header pipe 31 and decrease pressure in the other 32 to move the panels 11 from their retracted to their projecting positions or vice versa. The third and fourth header pipes 33 and 34 lead to a hydraulic pump (indicated diagrammatically at 36) controlled by a gyro operated or similar stabiliser 37. This pump 36 is arranged to cause the semi-rotary units 22 to oscillate the panels 11 in response to signals from the stabiliser 37. Means are preferably included to move the panels into their neutral position prior to retraction and disconnect the third and fourth header lines from the pump when the panels are retracted.

I claim:

A vessel comprising in combination a hull, a housing attached to and extending exteriorly of and along each side of said hull fore and aft of amidships, said housing being open to sea Water, a plurality of stabilizing fins pivotally carried at spaced points by and within each housing, each housing having an opening therethrough through which said fins pass, means mounting each fin for rotation about a generally upright axis passing through the associated housing and for rotation about a generally horizontal axis that extends outwardly of the hull through the fin, a first hydraulic motor mounted for generally horizontal swinging movement with each fin about said upright axis, first flexible conduits interconnected with said first motor for supplying pressure fluid to and removing spent fluid from said first motor, a second fluid motor, means mounting said second fluid motor for pivotal movement on and relative to said hull and on and relative to said first-named mounting means, second flexible conduits interconnectedwith said second fluid motor for supplying pressure fiuid'to'and removingspent fluid from said second motor, header means common to said flexible conduits of said fins in each housing, saidheader means being disposed Within the housing'outside the" hull, said first andsecond hydraulic motors and said first and second flexible conduits and said meansmounting said second fluid motor and said header means communicating with the exterior of said housing through said opening, and pump means within the hull communicating with :said header means for supplying pressure fluid to and removing spent fluid from said first and second flexible conduits.

2,848,971 8/58 Kollenberger 114.-126 2,878,772 3/59 Kjekstad 114 -126 3,036,540 5/62 Gregor 11412 6 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 832,715 4/60 Great Britain.

1,122,633 5/56 France. 1,241,757 10/60 France.

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner. MILTON BUCHLER, Examiner.- 

